Granite – Quartz – Corian – Recycled Glass Countertop
There are a lot of choices in today’s world, but how do you choose the best countertop? It’s important to understand, there is no best countertop surface – there is one that fits best your lifestyle and design interest. It is important to know the characteristics of the product and then make the choice. Once you can compare all the characteristics of the stone or surface, only then it becomes “pro or con” towards or against your needs and style.
There are a lot of choices in today’s world, but how do you choose the best countertop? It’s important to understand, there is no best countertop surface – there is one that fits best your lifestyle and design interest. It is important to know the characteristics of the product and then make the choice. Once you can compare all the characteristics of the stone or surface, only then it becomes “pro or con” towards or against your needs and style.
Here are the characteristics to consider:
- Some are seamless
- Some luster with age
- Some are heat resistant
- Some are heart proof
- Some are maintenance free
- Some need maintenance (in months or years)
- Some provide elegant looks
- Some deliver a dramatic look
- Some give a contemporary look
Granite
Granite is 100% natural and it is literally sliced from quarries, cut to size and polished until they are smooth. Granite comes from all over the world, and each piece is unique, so each stone will bring that uniqueness, style, and personalization into your kitchen or bathroom.
Since each piece is different, clients come to our granite warehouse and personally pick their pieces. Granite is heat resistant, so you can put your hot pans right on top. Granite is porous, so it requires sealing, but you can choose 15-year sealer and don’t have to worry about it for quite some time. Since each piece is unique, it can provide a wide variety of looks: high elegance, moderate style, or more contemporary look. Depending on the stone, in some pieces, you might not even notice the seam.
Quartz
Quartz is about 92% natural. Quarts countertops are man-made engineered by combining 90% natural hard mineral (crushed stone) with 8-10% resins, polymers, and pigments. The combination forms the granite-like surface. Quartz is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust. Quartz is second to diamonds in its hardness. It will have seams when putting together, but seams are not too noticeable.
Recycled Glass
This surface is made of post-consumer glass and mixed with concrete. This is the “greenest” counter, and it is highly resistant to heat. Recycled glass comes in slabs, so there are seams, and sealing is required to protect the concrete. Since there is a lot of variety of colors of glass, the look can be quite unique and glass adds transparency to the surface. View more kitchen countertops ideas.
